Annual culinary event is city’s first to debut Radio Frequency Identification technology for full festival experience Sept. 25-27.

This year, Taste of Atlanta is serving up more than just phenomenal food. Festivalgoers will also sink their teeth into cutting edge Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with the launch of a cashless payment system, a first in the Atlanta food festival scene.

Returning to Midtown at Tech Square on Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27, the 14th annual Taste of Atlanta is teaming up with Intellitix, the leading provider of RFID technologies for live events, to be the first Atlanta food and drink festival to fully integrate RFID-enabled wristband technology into the entire event experience. The festival will feature RFID access control and cashless payment systems, making it easier and faster for attendees to enter and indulge in the festival—all with just the tap of a wristband!

“Looking at the success Intellitix has had with so many festivals across the world, it just made sense for us to incorporate their cashless technology system into Taste of Atlanta,” said Dale DeSena, founder and president of Taste of Atlanta. “Technology is becoming more and more integrated in everything we do, especially in the dining world. The simplicity, effectiveness and cool factor of these RFID wristbands keeps Taste of Atlanta fresh and on-trend. This year’s festival will be enhanced like never before – it will truly be unlike any other food event in the city!”

Photo By: Rod Muhammad

Utilizing the RFID technology platform, Taste of Atlanta will now be a completely cashless event. Instead of paper-based tickets and sheets of taste coupons, festival attendees will receive their personalized RFID-enabled wristband containing an embedded electronic chip that scans them into the festival entrance. All ticket packages include a wristband, pre-loaded with 10 “Taste Points,” the official digital dining currency at Taste of Atlanta, which is used to pay for bites, brews and other merchandise at the festival. Tastes are tapas-sized, and cost one, two or three Taste Points each ($1-$3).

Buying tickets early, registering wristbands online and loading more Taste Points beforehand will provide hungry guests with enhanced benefits at the festival, including reduced wait times and improved customer service for lost or damaged wristbands. Patrons can “Top-Up” their wristbands with Taste Point credits by registering them online in advance at TasteOfAtlanta.com, creating a personal profile and adding funds to the account via credit card.

Taste Points can also be added on-site either on a smartphone or at “Taste Point Banks” located throughout the festival. Attendees even have the option to “Auto Top-Up,” meaning Taste Points can be automatically re-loaded to their wristbands whenever the balance falls below a set minimum amount. By enabling the Auto Top-Up feature, foodies can continue wining and dining without running out of funds and having to interrupt their festival experience looking for a Taste Point Bank on-site.

After the festival, any remaining Taste Points from the attendees’ cashless accounts will be refunded back to them in accordance with the festival’s refund policy and subject to a refund processing fee. All leftover funds from credit card Top-Ups will be automatically refunded back to the guest’s credit card, while debit card or cash Top-Ups will require the guest to apply for a simple refund form online in their user account.

Photo By: Joseph Y. Wong

“We’ve had the privilege of partnering with the best live events and festivals across so many industries, and we are confident that the deployment of our cashless technology will further distinguish Taste of Atlanta as the city’s most coveted culinary tradition,” said Eric Janssen, Chief Revenue Officer of Intellitix. “Taste of Atlanta festivalgoers will benefit from a totally streamlined and enhanced experience with our RFID solutions. Making speedy purchases for food, drink and merchandise with a simple tap of their RFID wristbands enable guests to spend more time enjoying all the mouth-watering festivities and less time standing in line.”

In addition to increasing efficiency at the festival, these RFID wristbands also enhance engagement for attendees and their favorite participating Taste of Atlanta restaurants. Registered attendees will receive an email notification of all the samples they’ve tasted from over 90 on-site eateries. The patron’s transaction history can also be accessed on their online account page.

“Our ultimate mission is to turn tasters into diners, and this RFID wristband technology takes that mission to the next level,” said DeSena. “With digital records of every bite they sampled throughout the festival, our guests can remember which restaurants they liked best and which ones they want to try again.”

Taste of Atlanta will once again donate a portion of the proceeds to “Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters” Atlanta project, a cooking-based program that provides a strong foundation in nutrition, cooking, and household budgeting through specialized courses for adults, kids, and teens.

About Taste of Atlanta

Taste of Atlanta packs the bold flavors, colorful personalities and vibrant energy of an entire city into 10 blocks in Midtown Atlanta to turn tasters into diners. The three-day festival explores the city’s unique neighborhoods by sampling tastes from the chefs and bartenders that give each area its own creative energy. Since its inception in 2002, Taste of Atlanta has become an annual pilgrimage for thousands of food, wine, beer and cocktail lovers from across the country. Festival attendees bring their adventurous appetites and experience a full range of flavors, from time-honored Southern classics to innovative dishes that are destined to be the next culinary trend. Patrons also enjoy interactive cooking demonstrations on four main stages, live entertainment and family-friendly activities for food lovers of all ages. Taste of Atlanta supports several Atlanta non-profit groups, including Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, Atlanta’s Table, Georgia Organics and Hospitality Education Foundation of Georgia and ProStart®. Indulge in the city’s flavors Friday through Sunday, September 25-27 in Midtown at Tech Square to truly savor what makes Atlanta the food capital of the South. For more information, visit www.tasteofatlanta.com.

About TasteATL

TasteATL, the culinary event management company best known for orchestrating Taste of Atlanta, the city’s largest food festival, presents food festivals and events throughout the year.

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